I love dice. Nowadays I am truly becoming more and more drawn to them than even Chess.

Yet, as a man who has played Chess passionately his entire life, whence taking away the board and pieces to make way for a handful of mere dice, something is profoundly missing.

For ages I couldn’t work it out. I kept asking myself, why, if I can get just as much strategic nutrition out of dice as I can from Chess, then why is there something missing?

Then it struck me. Aesthetics.

Chess presents a homely welcoming atmosphere to anyone interested in the game. The very Chess set itself creates its own dimension within the world it resides.

A handful of dice however, are just a handful of dice.

I realised that what my dice needed was an “aesthetic belonging”. They yearned for their own dimensional place in time and space where they could proclaim the residence of a higher power.

Enter… the Dice Tray.

I had of course seen these once in a while, but usually in films where they are part of a much more extravagant studio setting.

However, little did I know how common they actually are.

I started searching for different kinds of Dice Trays hoping something might eventually persuade my wandering heart.

It might interest you to know that the vast majority of Dice Trays available to buy are mostly square in shape, made of plastic and quite small. There are also octagonal or hexagonal shaped trays, sometimes a little better quality, but yet still on the small size.

I was looking for wood. I thought, if I can acquire something natural and aesthetically beautiful, I will probably be sold on the idea.

I also wanted something round and quite sizeable.

It took me a long time, but eventually I found what I was looking for. I found the biggest circular wooden dice tray for miles around.

A thirteen inch, circular tray made from Rubberwood, with a felt inlay.

I found this beauty at a shop called Jesters, whom sell all kinds of interesting tabletop games merchandise.

So if you like to play dice, but feel they don’t quite bring a warmly welcoming presence to your living room and wish they had their own profundity of existence within time and space, then a Dice Tray is definitely for you.

Absolutely stunning. Roll on.